Battle of Altenburg facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Battle of Altenburg
Part of the German campaign of the Sixth Coalition
Battle of Altenburg engraved by Ant. Tessaro
Date 28 September 1813 Location Altenburg, Saxe-Gotha-Altenburg 50°59′6″N 12°26′0″E / 50.98500°N 12.43333°E / 50.98500; 12.43333 Result Coalition victory
Belligerents
Prussia  Austria  Russia	France  Baden
Commanders and leaders
Thielmann Mensdorff Platov	Charles Lefebvre-Desnouettes
Strength
	8,000
Casualties and losses
300 dead or wounded	600 dead or wounded 1,000-1,400 taken prisoner

The raid at Altenburg on 28 September 1813 took place during the War of the Sixth Coalition's German Campaign of 1813. The raid was carried out by the Streifkorp under the command of Saxon General Johann von Thielmann commanding seven regiments of Cossacks, a squadron each of Saxon Hussars and Dragoons, and a detachment of Saxon Freikorps numbering about 1,500 cavalry. The objective of the raid was to attempt harassment of the French lines of communication 25 miles (45 km) south of Leipzig shortly before the Battle of Leipzig. The Austrian contingent was commanded by Emmanuel Mensdorff and the Russian contingent of Cossacks by Matvei Platov.

Background

The battle was the culmination of a raid in which Thielmann cavalry successfully attacked Napoleon's lines of communications along the roads between Erfurt and Leipzig in the Saale valley.

Battle

Thielmann completely surprised and routed a larger force of French cavalry, including Cavalry of the Imperial Guard and a small force of 2nd Baden Infantry Regiment (Infanterie-Regiment No.2 ‘Markgraf Wilhelm’) nominally under the command of Lefebvre-Desnouettes numbering some 8,000. The French, completely surprised, broke and fled from Altenburg losing a third of their number (2,100), in the process running over the Baden infantry which was taken prisoner despite attempting to resist. Thielmann's force lost about 200 in casualties.